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MLS Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake Weekly Update

April 3, 2018 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, April 3, 2018) - Real Salt Lake travelled east to Canada while Utah Royals FC visited the Lone Star State and Real Monarchs SLC opened the home portion of its 2018 schedule. The Real Salt Lake Academy U-17s returned home from the Generation adidas tournament in Frisco, Texas. Here's what you need to know at the club this week:

Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake (1-2-1, 4 points) fell into an early 2-0 hole and couldn't climb out, falling 3-1 to Toronto FC on Friday night at BMO Field. FW Corey Baird scored his first MLS goal, one week after scoring his first professional goal while on loan with Real Monarchs SLC in the USL, and GK Nick Rimando made an early penalty save, but Toronto FC's Jozy Altidore scored two first-half goals and the defending MLS Cup champions held court winning 3-1.

RSL was outshot 11-3 in the first half and conceded two penalties to Toronto. On the first in the 15th minute, Rimando saved Sebastian Giovinco's attempt, but Altidore converted the second in the 23rd minute to make it 1-0. Altidore would add a second goal in the 45th minute, taking a pass from Ashtone Morgan and whipping it past Rimando and inside the far post to make it 2-0 at halftime.

Real Salt Lake was energized in the second half in looking to battle back from the deficit and got a goal from Baird in the 82nd minute. The Homegrown forward from Stanford took a pass from FW Jefferson Savarino on the left side of the box, took a touch, then slotted it past his defender and it skipped inside the far post to make it 2-1. RSL couldn't find the equalizer, though, and in stoppage time, Tosaint Ricketts put the game out of reach with a putback effort after the initial shot hit the crossbar and spilled in front of the goal.

RSL will return to Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday, April 7 to host Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.

Utah Royals FC

Utah Royals FC earned a road point for the second consecutive week to open its existence, managing a 0-0 draw at Houston against the Dash at BBVA Compass Stadium Friday night.

First-half opportunities for MF Gunny Jonsdottir - whose free kick from 22 yards out was tipped just over the bar - and FW Katie Stengel threatened the frame, but Houston GK Jane Campbell was impenetrable on the night.

Royals FC DF Brooke Elby - a 30th-minute substitution for injured DF Becca Moros - and MF Erika Tymrak, also making her club debut, had chances late in the match to find the game-winner, but were unable to capitalize.

Meanwhile, URFC GK Abby Smith was rarely tested in the match, also finishing with the shutout, the first in club history and the former Texas Longhorn's fourth of her NWSL career.

Head Coach Laura Harvey's team now joins the rest of the NWSL in observing the upcoming FIFA international break, returning to action for the first time ever on Utah soil on Sat., April 14 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Kickoff for that historic event is at 1:30p MT, as the nationally-televised NWSL Game of the Week on Lifetime against Chicago also features triple-platinum recording artist Rachel Platten singing the anthem pregame and celebrating a new era for sports in Utah with a post-Gabe concert featuring "Fight Song" and her other hits. Tickets are available at www.UtahRoyalsFC.com or by calling 844.Real.Tix.

Real Monarchs SLC

Real Monarchs SLC (2-0-0, 6 points, T-West 6) topped Western Conference rival Portland Timbers 2 on Saturday afternoon, 4-2 as three different players notched goals in front of 2,514 at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The match began at a blistering pace with the Monarchs finding two goals inside the first seven minutes through DFs Nick Besler and Kalen Ryden. All three goals in the second half came from set pieces as the Monarchs as Besler's goal and Ryden's first resulted from corner kicks from MF Justin Portillo. Ryden found his second goal when Portillo's free kick from midfield again found his run at the back post where he headed home easily.

Portland pulled a goal back three minutes after the Monarchs third when Jeremy Ebobisse chipped home a rebound from his header just before to bring the score at halftime to 3-1.

The second half began much like the first ended with T2 getting another goal through Victor Arboleda in the 53rd minute. In the 66th minute MF Sebastian Velasquez earned his first goal of the 2018 season when his quick footwork created space for him to fire a shot past the goalkeeper for the Monarchs 4th goal of the afternoon.

Prior to kickoff against T2, teams and fans paid their respects to former Real Monarchs Assistant Coach Liam Miller with a round of applause. Miller was also remembered by fans in the eighth minute of play with a moment of silence in his honor. Miller passed away in early-February after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer.

The Monarchs will return to the road for a matchup with Phoenix Rising FC on April 7thwith kickoff set for 8:00 p.m. MT from Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex.

Real Salt Lake Academy

The Real Salt Lake Academy U-17s returned to Utah after participating in the Generation adidas Cup held in Frisco, Texas. On March 23, the Academy fell 1-0 to Orlando City SC before a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo that gave way to RSL falling 7-8 in penalties.

On Monday, the Academy faced off against C.F. Monterrey for its final match of the group stages beating Monterrey 2-0 courtesy of two goals from FW Ben Ortiz.

The U-17s continued play in Frisco on Thursday March 29 where it fell 4-3 in penalties to the Chicago Fire before topping Japanese side Matsumoto Yamaga 2-1 last Saturday.

RSL will look to a trip to San Diego to face San Diego Surf on April 7 and Nomads SC on April 8. The U-17s will open the matches on both days at 10:00 a.m. and noon respectively, followed by the older group at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. respectively.

Check out the Real Salt Lake Statistics



Major League Soccer Stories from April 3, 2018


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